Vending machine



July 3', 1928.

J. R. NOLAN VENDING MACHINE Filed April 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 3, 1928.

J. R. NOLAN VENDING MACHINE Filed A rils, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 July 3, 1928. 1,675,510

J. R. NOLAN VENDING MACHINE Filed April 199.4 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented July 3, 1928.

v UNITED STATES JOHN R. NOLAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

VENDING MACHINE.

. Application filed April 8,

This. invention relates to coin controlled vending machines; having reference, especially, though not exclusively, to. machines designed tocontain and vend s0-calledboole matches.

: I11 the. preferredform of embodiment of the inventionherein illustrated the machine comprises an intermittently rotatable delivery device oi'tnorel constructi'on manually operative to engage the lowermost articles contained in a magazine anddischarge them positively therei'roni, which device in its rotary travel effects a gradual lowering of the superposed contents of the magazine preparatory to their discharge; simple and chi: cient coin coiitrolled locking and releasing niechanisnji, for the delivery dcvice,and a magazine of novel construction into which pluralrows of book. matches as packed in a commercial carton can be directly transferred with facility from the carton.

The invention also Comprises novel features of construction and COXIllJlDEltlQHSOf parts which will be hereinafter described and claimed. i 1

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the machine. i

Fig. 2- is a transverse vertical sect-ion thereof, as onthe line 22 of. Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a similar section, as on the hne 3--?; of Fig. 1, showing the rotary delivery device as partially-turned to engagethe lowermost articles contained in the magazine. I

Fig.4 is a similar View, showing the delivery device farther advanced and illustrating its ejecting action.

Fig. 5 a reduced View of the resilient guard fingers whicl are located at the tie livery opening of the magazine.

Fig. (S is a horizontal section oi. the machine, as on the line 66 oil Fig.1.

Fig. 7 is a detail, in perspective, of the upper portions of the casing and magazine.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the rotary delivery device, showing the associated coin disk and ratchet wheel on the shaft of said device. I

Fig. 9 is a view of the coin disk and ratchet wheel, together with the locking and releasing pawl for the latter, showing the relation of the parts at the instant the pawl is disengaged from the wheel by the action of the coin in the coin disk, and indicating 1924. Serial Nb. 704,922.

by dotted lines, the position of the $110,111 dered portions of the delivery device.

Fig. lg is a similar view looking at the opposite side of the coin disk and ratchet wheel, showing the ratchet wheel as released and as initially advanced by the spring.

F ig. 11 is a perspective view of the locking and releasing pawl.

Referring to the drawings, 12 designates a casing of suitable shape and size for its intendedpurpose. In the present instance this casing, which is preferably of sheet metal, comprisesa base 13, a back 143, sides 15, a door l6 hinged, as at 17, to one of the sides and a flanged top or cover 18, which, when closed, is adapted to embrace the upper portions Oil the sides and of the closed door. In the lower portion of the door is an article delivery opening 19, and adjacent the free edge of the door is a suitably-disposed coin slot 20. A coin receiving conipartment 21 is provided within the casing by the provision of a vertical partition 22 which rises from the base in a plane be tween the delivery opening and the right handside of the casing. The casing is preferably provided with suitable suspension mean-s whereby itcan be coi'iveni'ently hung on a Well, if desired. To this end the back 14 may have formed therein keyhole slots adapted to receive supporting nails 24-, or the like, projecting from wall strips as seen in Fig. 2.

lVithin the casing is supported in any suitable manner an article containii g magazine, which, in the present instance, coinprises a sheet metal trough-like structure 26 divided into two vertical compartments 27 by a median partition 28. The longitn dinal edges of the side walls of the structure are provided with iii-turned flanges 29 "which afi'ord guards to prevent forward dis placement of the contents of the respective compartments. The upper rearward portion of the partition is longitudinally recessed, as at 30, to facilitatethe transfer of articles from cartons directly into i the compartbrace .a shaft 33 (or hubs or bushings thereon) which is mounted to rotate in the lower portion of the casing as hereinafter described. i

Fast on the shaft 33 is a rotary delivery device of novel construction, which, being positioned in proximity to the lower end of the magazine, supports the contents of the respective compartments. The delivery device in its preferred form comprises a cylindrical body 04; having peripheral flat portions 35 extending transversely thereof. In the present instance two spaced-apart pairs of flat portions are employed, those of each oair bein diametricall oaaosite to each other so that either may be positioned in proximity to the lower end of the magazine by the act of partially rotating the delivery device. The body is preferably provided, midway betwen its ends, with a circumferential groove 36. The partition 28 depends into this groove, and the side walls of the magazine depend laterally adjacent the respective ends of the body, thus insuring the proper disposition upon the delivery device of the lowermost article contained in the respective compartments of the magazine.

The delivery device is provided adjacent each of the fiat portions with a circumferential projection 37, one end f which is located at or adjacent the trailing edge of the flat portion and presents an impelling shoulder 38 adapted to engage an article, such as a match book 39, seated on the fiat portion when the delivery device is properly rotated. The shoulder is of less height than the thickness of a single article at the place against which the shoulder impinges, and when the articles are match books the shoulder is arranged to engage each succeeding lowermost book about midway of its ends so as not to impinge against the proximate upper book or books. Each projection extends from the shoulder through an eccentric are which merges with the periphery of the body 34; thus providing a circumferential wedge-like rib that trails the adjacent flat portion of the device when it is turned clockwise.

The low r edge of the back of the maga zine terminates somewhat above the periphery of the delivery device to afford an open ing deeper than the greatest width of the article to be vended, which edge is provided with a series of independently movable fingers 39 that are so disposed as to flank the paths of the respective projections 37 and extend to or near to the peripheral path of the delivery device. In the present instance these fingers are formed on and depend from a transverse strip 40 of thin spring metal which is rigidly secured to the back of the magazine.

When the position of the delivery device is such that the contents of the magazine rest upon or near the upper flat surfaces of the device, the fingers 39 bar the discharge opening, and thus prevent the accidental escape therethrough of the lowermost articles, but when the device is turned in'a clockwise direction, the upper impelling shoulders 38 thereof bear against the opposing articles and force them rearwardly and against the fingers, which fingers by their elasticity initially press the articles against the shoulders. As such articles are being forcibly advanced by the shoulders, the fingers are swung outwardly and are caused to ride yieldingly upon the tops of the advancing articles in a manner to maintain them seated squarely upon the flat surfaces of the delivery device until they are discharged from the magazine. Thereupon the fingers, resuming their normal position, prevent the escape of the succeeding articles from the magazine until such time as the latter shall be engaged and acted upon by the next following pair of impelling shoulders.

It is to be noted that when the articles are engaged and initially advanced by the impelling shoulders the trailing ends of the articles are slightly elevated, whichupward movement, in the absence of counteracting means, would tend to displace the leading ends of the books. The resilient fingers, however, initially act to bind the articles against the shoulders, and as such articles are tilted by the gradual declination of the flat surfaces in their continued rotary travel, the leading ends of the articles are caused to bear against the fingers with a downward and rearward force which operates to swing the fingers outward and to permit the articles to pass smoothly thereunder, which fingers thereupon'press yieldingly against the tops of the underlying articles and maintain them upon the flat supporting surfaces of the delivery device as previously mentioned.

In the initial advancement of the lowermost articles engaged by the impelling shoulders the projections pass directly beneath the superposed articles contained in the respective compartments. The advancing articles slightly raise those above, and then permit them to descend upon the projections. Owing to the curvature of these projections the articles contained in the magazine are permitted to settle gradually until the next succeeding flat portions of the delivery device pass beneath the articles preparatory to a succeeding operation to remove the next lowermost articles from the magazine; and so on. The described rising and falling motion of the articles contained in the magazine insures their uniform descent to and upon the body of the delivery device.

A guide late 41 is spaced slightly from the rear 0' the spring-guarded discharge opening of the magazine and is curved downwardly and forwardly to the bottom lll) of the delivery opening 19" in the door of the cssing: This plate is so disposed in relationyto the path oi the deliveryldevice lll that when the aiPtic'les -areejected from the nia ga ziiie they encounter the opposing curved surface of the plate and are deflected downward thereby until theyescape from the action of the impel'ling' shoulderswhereupon such arti'clesfall upon the lower part of the plate and are directed forwardly thereby to and through the discharge 0pening. The spaced relation of the upper portion of the curved surface of the guide plate to the delivery device is preferably such that the articles are not releaseduntil the device has been turned-a substantial distance. i

In the present instance one end of the shaft 33 of the delivery deviceis journaled in a bearing '42 in the left sidewall of the casing, and t' he' opposite end of the shaft is rotatably. mounted in a sleeve or hub 43 which is journaled in and projects outward- ,ly of the other side wall of the casing. The

outer end of the sleeve or hub is equipped with a suitable knob or handle 44, and its inner endhasfixed thereto' a disk 45 having two diametrically opposite peripheral recesses 46 which are ea'ch" shaped to receive the greater portion of a coin. Fast on the shaft 33, in closeproximity to the face of the coin disk 45, is a ratchet wheel 47 which ratchet Wheel, maintains' the disk and wheel normally in a position with thestud at the trailing end oflthe slot. The tension of the spring connection betweenthe coin disk and the ratchet wheel is such that during the clockwise rotation of the knob 44 the spring permits an initial advance movement of the coin disk, wherenponthe stud 49 bears firm- A coin chute 51 is suitably supported within the casing so as, to overhangthe coin disk, the upper end of the chute being formed and arranged to register with the coin slot of the door 16. when the latter is closed. The outeror' right hand wall of the chute is extended dowmvardl in close relation to the adjacent-side of the coin disk. the free end of theleg 51' "thus formed being bifurcated to embrace a [circumferential groove in the hub 43. The 'chutewleg thus the coin when the coin disk is partially rotated by proper manipulation of the knob 4 h 'llre ratchet wheel is not only provided with inclined back-stop teeth 53, but also with two diametrically opposite peripheral spaces one adjacent each socket and in such relation thereto that when an impelling shoulder-of the delivery device is located adjacent its article-engaging position, i. e, forward of the magazine, the nppe'rsocket is in substantial: vertical alineinent with the throat of the chute. The ends of each space '54 provide oppositely-disposed stops 55, 56, respectively. Pivoted .on a 'stud 57 sup- :ported on the adjacent wall of the casing, (01" other fixture) is a pawl arm 58 which extends rearwardlyand lies laterally of the position of the uppercoin socket. This arm is provided near its pivotal end, forwardly of the proximate coin socket with an ini wa'r'dly' extending St0p 1Stlld 59 that drops normally into peripheral space 54 when the latter is positioned beneaththe stud,the stops 55, ,56 at the respective ends of the space thus preventing forward or backward movementof the delivery device. The pawl arm is also provided, adjacent the rear open edge ol'ixthe chute, with an inwardly extend- ,in'g. trip stud 60 which overhangs but does not-engage the coin disk, and which stud crosses the rearward path of theupper portion of a coin contained in theuppe'r socket.

By the mechanism just described it will be seen that whenthe delivery device is turned in a clockwise direction by the manipulation of the knob 44, the s'tud"59 rides on the ratchet teeth untilthe'leading' space 54 passes beneath the stud, whereupon the latter drops into such space an'dis engaged by the opposing stop 55, which stop positively checks the continued-rotation of the delivery device,

Ill)

the upper socket of the coin diskthenbeing i directly beneath the throat of the coin chute. Thereupon, as the knob is turned, the coil disk is independently advanced with- "in the limits of the slot 48 of the ratchet wheel and against the action of the spring 50. If the knob nowhe releasedthe spring will retract the coin disk to position the upper coin socket thereof beneath the coin chutefso that if a coinbe'lnserted 1n the coin slot 20 such coin will drop directly intothe socket. There'upon the act of turning the' knob will again move the coin disk against the action of the spring and press the coin against and under the trip stud 60, thereby raising the stud, together with the pawl arm, in a manner to lift the stop stud above and clear of the stop of the ratchet wheel. The instant the ratchet wheel is thus released the tensioned spring slightly advances the wheel and the delivery device, thereby causing the proximate stop 55 to pass beyond the overhanging stop stud 59 of the pawl arm, and as the manual rotation of the knob is continued the coin is carried beyond the trip stud 60 and discharged from the socket. As the coin passes below and beyond the trip stud the pawl arm drops by gravity (being preferably provided with a weight 61) the stop-stud 59 thus riding on the periphery of the ratchet wheel. Continuing the manual movement of the knob,-the delivery device is turned sufficiently to effect the discharge of the lowermost articles from the magazine by the impingement thereagainst of the impelling shoulders of the said device, as previously de scribed. During the ejecting action. owing to the counter-acting force incident thereto, the coin-disk is independently advanced within the limits of the slot 48 of the ratchet wheel and against the action of the spring 50, the stud 40 thus bearing firmly against the opposing end of the slot. \Vhen the articles have been discharged and the knob released the spring 50retracts the coin disk to its normal position relatively to the ratchet wheel.

In the continued rotation of the delivery device, after the coin has passed the trip stud of the pawl arm, the stop-stud 59 rides idly upon the toothed periphery of the ratchet disk, but if an attempt be made to turn the device backward the stud 59 will at once engage a back-stop tooth 53 adjacent thereto and prevent the retrograde movement. Immediately after the coin has passed the trip stud, as previously mentioned, the coin escapes from the socket and drops into the coin compartment. The flat surfaces of the delivery device are so arranged in cooperative relation to the assocated ratchet wheel and coin disk, that the coin is discharged from the coin socket just at or immediately before the engagement of the impelling shoulders of the device with the contents of the magazine.

.Vhen the delivery device has been rotated a sufiicient distance to position. the second coin socket at the top, the stop stud 59 of the pawl arm, resuming its original position,

enters the second space 54 of the ratchet wheel and co-operates with the end stops of such space to prevent a succeeding operative'rotation of the delivery device unless and until a coin be introduced into the now up er coin socket. If at any time the coin dis and delivery device should not be ro tated sufficiently to present the upper coin socket to the coin chute after articles have been ejected, a coin subsequently introduced in the chute will nevertheless enter the socket when the latter is properly positioned during the succeeding rotation of the coin disk. As previously mentioned the present apparatus has been more especially designed to vend so-called book-matches, which, as is well known, are of wedge-like form. These books, on account of their shape, must be filed flatwisein alternate reverse order, or generally so, in each of the compartments; and since the books arethus compactly arranged in two juxtaposed rows in the commercial carton, it is desirable to transfer them directly from the carton into the respective compartments of the magazine. Accordingly the compartments are arranged in close parallel relation to each other, and the upper rear portion of the partition is longitudinally recessed or offset at 30, as aforesaid. To charge the magazine with match books the top 18 and the door 16 of the casing are swung open, and the machine is placed on its back upon a table or the like. One end of the carton is then cut or torn along its vertical edges and such end is swung outwardly similarly to. a flap. The

carton is placed in horizontal position, or substantially so, with its open end flap at the mouth of ithe magazine; the flap is pushed into the recess, and the two rows of books contained in the carton, being in close proximity to and in substantial alincment with the respective compartments of the magazine, can then be readily pushed di rectly thereinto from the carton.

lVhen the books are arranged within the compartments as just explained the edges of the cover folds of the books are parallel with the sides of the magazine, and hence during the expulsion of the lowermost books from the magazine there is no liability of their folds being interlocked with those of the contiguous superposed books within the magazine. The independently movable spring fingers 39, which are located at the discharge opening of the magazine, prevent the passage of the thin ends of the alter nately arranged books through such opening, and said fingers also readily accommodate themselves to the different levels of the inclined surfaces of the books as the latter are being ejected by the delivery device.

.Although the machine hereinbefore described is intended to vend articles from two compartments during each operative movement of the delivery device, the number of compartments of the magazine and the ejecting surfaces of the device may be correspondingly increased to accomplish the vending of a greater number of articles; or, if desired, the invention may be embodied in a single instead of a plural delivery maichine. In other respects the construction Itl herein disclosed may be variously modified ,Within the spirit 0 the invention and the scope of the appended. claims.

1. In a vending machine, the combination with a magazine adapted to contain a column of articles to be vended, of a delivery element mounted to rotate below the magazine, and support the lowermost article and the entire column, said element comprising a generally cylindrical body having a peripheral projection afiording an impelling shoulder and extending through an arc eccentric to the axis of the delivery element, which are merges with the periphery of the body, a portion of such periphery in advance of the projection affording a supporting surface for the entire column preparatory to the delivery operation.

2. In a vending machine, the combination with a. magazine adapted to contain a column of articles to be vended, of a delivery element mounted to rotate below the magazine, and support the lowermost article and the entire column, said element comprising a generally cylindrical body having a peripheral fiat portion and having also a peripheral rojection adjacent the trailing edge of t e fiat portion, said projection affording an impelling shoulder and extending through an arc eccentric to the axis of the delivery element, which are merges with the periphery of the body, and the portion of such periphery in advance of the projection affording a supporting surface for the entire column preparatory to the delivery operation.

3. In a vending machine, the combination with an article magazine having a discharge opening at the foot of one wall thereof, of a delivery element mounted to rotate below the magazine, and support the lowermost article, said element comprising a generally cylindrical body having a peripheral projection affording an impelling shoulder and extending through an eccentric are which merges with the periphery of the body, and resilient fingers depending across the opening and laterally of the path of said projection, said fingers being so positioned in relation to the body that during the partial rotation of the latter they initially oppose the exit of the leading end of the article and maintain the withan article magazine having a discharge opening at the foot of one wall thereof, of a delivery element mounted to rotate below the magazine, and support the lowermost article, said element comprising a generally cylindrical body having a peripheral fiat portion and having also a peripheral projection adjacent the trailing edge of the flat portion, affording an impellin shoulder and extending through an eccentric are which merges with the periphery of the body, and resilient fingers depending across the opening and laterally of the body, said fingers being so positioned in relation to the body that during the partial rotation of the latter they initially oppose the exit of the leading end of the article and maintain the opposite end thereof against the projection, said fingers then pressing yieldingly upon the top of the advancing article in a manner to maintain it seated on the said body as the article is swung downward.

5. In a vending machine, a casing, a magazine therein, a shaft mounted below the magazine, and a rotary delivery device on the shaft, said magazine being secured at its upper end to the casing and having depending side walls bifurcated at their lower ends and straddling the axis of the shaft.

6. In a vending machine, a casing having walls and a movable cap, an open top magazine therein having Wall portions separate from the walls of the casing, for engaging three sidesof articles in two columns to be vended, a partition in the magazine for maintaining the columns separate from each other, the upper rear portion of the partition being longitudinally spaced from the adjacent back wall of the said structure to afford a slot or recess to receive the wall of a carton containing two rows of articles, thus permitting the filling of the two compartments di rectly from the carton.

Signed at New York in the county and State of New York this 7th day of April JOHN R. NOLAN. 

